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Category Archives: My Creative Pieces
Blizzard structures
Hedi Kyle is the coauthor, with her daughter, Ulla Warchol, of The Art of the Fold, a step-by-step guide to making a wide range of original structures. Over the past 3 weeks I’ve been exploring 6 of her designs based … Continue reading
Project: Treads notebook
From time to time I use my prints as covers for notebooks. Today I used my hand-coloured print from my ongoing Treads project. Might as well use it rather than shoving it in a drawer for ever. It’s a simple … Continue reading
Posted in My books & journals, My Creative Pieces, My prints
Tagged Acid etching, Book-making
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Project: Treads
Car and truck tires seem to have been in my peripheral vision lately so I drew a few and collaged them together to form a rectangular design. Being such a fan of geometric and linear imagery I was pleased with … Continue reading
Banksia Book – Constructed
Over recent months I’ve documented my progress in printing some Banksia themed solar plates I was given late last year. Some of them are quite worn, or possibly not etched deeply enough to start with, but they have been a … Continue reading
Project: Information Highway
Take two products … Last year I invested in several new stencils. In theory I could have cut some of them myself but the strain on my hands and possible mistakes when doing this wasn’t worth it. So the question … Continue reading
Workshop: Eco-printing with Wendy Joyce
Anyone who follows my site will know I’ve done a bit of eco-printing/dyeing over the years, but I’ve never tried it using a steaming method. Last week I was introduced to this new technique by eco-printer Wendy Joyce in her … Continue reading
Exploration: Journey
I’m currently part of an on-line creative exploration course. It’s nothing onerous, just something to stimulate ideas and create some random drawings without too much thought. The word for the day was ‘Journey’ and I jotted down a few things … Continue reading
Posted in Design Play, My Creative Pieces
3 Comments
Coptic stitch sketchbook
Last week I did a short online Coptic stitch tutorial. I’ve only done this stitching twice before and neither time has the process really stuck in my mind. However, this tutorial was superb and with the benefit of videos which … Continue reading
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Banksia solar plates: further prints
I’ve now completed printing the remaining solar plates featuring Banksia designs that I was given. These are currently being dried ready to be formed into a book showcasing the best of the plates. Here are a few more of the … Continue reading
Gel plate collagraph printing
I recently read an article describing the technique of pressing collagraph plates into an inked gelli plate surface, followed by pulling the print from the gelli plate – not the collagraph. In essence, a transfer print. My normal printing routine … Continue reading
Posted in Design Play, My Creative Pieces, My prints
Tagged Collagraphs, Gelli plate
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Banksia solar plates: new prints
Since my last post regarding the etched solar plates I was recently given I’ve been experimenting with different papers and colourways to see what effects I can get. The plates are several years old and some of the etching isn’t … Continue reading
Banksia Book – Part 1
I recently wrote about some etched solar plates I’ve been given, which I’ve started printing. My aim is to create a book showcasing the prints to give to the friend who kindly donated the plates. My criteria are as follows: … Continue reading
Posted in Design Play, My books & journals, My Creative Pieces, My prints
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2021 Artists’ Book Award Exhibition
Friday, 19 February 2021 – 10:00am to Sunday, 28 March 2021 – 4:00pm In partnership with Manly Art Gallery & Museum, Northern Beaches Council Libraries hold an Artists’ Book Award attracting entries from around the world. From the exhibited selection … Continue reading
Posted in Exhibitions & Artists, My books & journals, My Creative Pieces
Tagged Book-making
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Abstract Banksia solar plates
Late last year a friend gave me 2 etched solar plates depicting collages of Banksias taken from her own photos. I printed these for her (see post here) and she used them as book covers for a gift. Since then … Continue reading
2020 12 29 Image of the week
This monoprint, by my friend Judy Howe, is part of the Hazelhurst Gallery & Arts Centre 20 year anniversary exhibition. I’ve always enjoyed her work; her reduced yet vibrant colour palettes create life in each of her original monoprints. Judy … Continue reading
Working with selected colours
The designs I choose from all those I’ll be producing over the coming weeks will be scanned into the computer and used to generate a cohesive whole. I normally create my designs and work up the layers directly from paint … Continue reading
Creating a Colour Selector chart
I’ve designed a system of recording both the variety of paints & drawing materials I own and the items & colours I intend to use for each project I work on. I own quite a range of media including oil-based … Continue reading
A gift of solar plates
Last weekend a friend gave me 2 etched solar plates. The designs are from her own photographs, collaged and transferred to acetate and then to the print plates. She asked if I could print the images for her to use … Continue reading
Posted in My Creative Pieces, My prints
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Working in only 2 colours
I recently taught a colour & composition workshop where we concentrated on the wonderful world of colour choices; tones, tints, likes, dislikes and colour matching. Trying to introduce the participants to a new way of considering abstraction in their work … Continue reading
Celebrating 20 years of art and culture
I am delighted to have been invited to take part in the current Hazelhurst Gallery & Arts Centre exhibition. To celebrate 20 years of Hazelhurst more than 350 artists from southern Sydney were invited to take part in a massive … Continue reading
Posted in Exhibitions & Artists, My Creative Pieces, My prints
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Finally back to teaching
After a very long time in full- and semi-lockdown I am delighted to have been engaged to teach a weekend workshop at Hazelhurst Gallery & Arts Centre. Entitled ‘Book Making for Artists‘ this 2 day weekend event will introduce participants … Continue reading
Posted in My books & journals, My Creative Pieces, Workshops & Classes
Tagged Book-making
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Linocut print: Lamb’s Tongue weed
After a couple of trial runs and a bit more carving I completed a very successful print. Good outcome with solid ink coverage and I’m pleased that my instinct led me to translate some aspects of the design differently than … Continue reading
Linocut: Lamb’s Tongue weed
This year, whilst in covid lockdown, I’ve spent a lot of time walking in bushland both observing and collecting flora, mainly weeds. A few weeks ago I started photographing Lamb’s Tongue weeds (Plantago lanceolata). They have a robust cylindrical shaped … Continue reading
More gelli printing
This week I was introduced to another way of gelli printing, one where texture can be created whilst still being able to produce quite exacting patterns. In September I blogged about a similar, but slightly different method, and gave the … Continue reading
New gelli plate printing
Over the last 12 months I’ve done quite a bit of gelli plate printing using a few different methods; random rolling of paints, applying stencils, mark making with objects and the like. All have been done with either one or … Continue reading
Posted in Design Play, My Creative Pieces, My prints
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Continuing drawing figures
I’ve continued working on drawing fashion figures. Referring to my text book, I’ve produced a couple of line drawings demonstrating different poses. Using one as a template I went on to complete a body shape. I’m in two minds about … Continue reading
Posted in My Creative Pieces, My drawing
5 Comments
New challenges in drawing
I’ve had a project in mind for a while now but know my drawing skills aren’t up to the job so I’ve bitten the bullet, invested in some basic drawing books and picked up a pencil. I love fashion illustration … Continue reading
Exploring Mixed Media: 6
Masks, Stencils & Monoprinting . . . with a bit of painting and drawing. A fairly good result. Perhaps a little less colour in the upper background would have been better. The buds have more orange and colour variation that … Continue reading
Posted in My Creative Pieces, My drawing, My painting, My prints
Tagged Gelli plate, Stencilling
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Exploring Mixed Media: 5
Continuing with the Gelli printing & stencilling, I used my original source photos as a start point and reproduced some of the images then cut stencils & masks, plus addition pieces to widen my selection. These thin acetate stencils are … Continue reading
Exploring Mixed Media: 4
Gelli Plate printing These first samples have been about re-familiarising myself with the Gelli plate, getting good coverage and colour combinations. All produced with various brands of acrylic paints. Creating patterns within the painted layers. Stencilling: Experiments with different media. … Continue reading
Posted in Design Play, My Creative Pieces
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Another take on natural dyeing
Over the years I’ve done a range of techniques to apply both natural colour (i.e. colour extracted from nature: leaves, bark, berries, plant stems) and natural patterns (i.e. leaf imprints, petals, fronds, pine needles, etc.) to both cloth and paper. … Continue reading
Exploring Mixed Media: 3
Anyone following this thread will note that I’ve changed the title from ‘Working with nature’ (which were parts 1 & 2) to the overall course title. I feel happier not being so constrained by the narrow reference to nature. It’s … Continue reading
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Working with nature: 2
Identifying colour palettes from photos This is something I’ve done many times before but this time I’m exploring computer programs that automatically extract colours from photos. In the past I’ve always painted swatches or wrapped threads to indicate colours. Having … Continue reading
Posted in Design Play, My Creative Pieces
7 Comments
Working with nature: 1
This week I joined an online class exploring different ways of working with nature in an art practice. Initially we were encouraged to explore our environment and collect flora that attracted us. Obviously, in parks and and on bush trails … Continue reading
Posted in Design Play, My Creative Pieces
11 Comments
Counterchange
With the restrictions of being at home pretty much full time I joined a small on-line challenge this week. Entitled Notan/Counterchange, it was described as follows: Notan is a Japanese design concept involving the play and placement of light and … Continue reading
Articulated concertina: More complexity
In January I posted the results of my exploration into creating a double articulated concertina book. I made two samples; one with basic stitching and the other with an attractive beaded join. Ever since completing the these I’ve been irritated … Continue reading
Posted in My books & journals, My Creative Pieces, My prints
Tagged Book-making, Linocut
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Finished and framed etching
At the beginning of February I posted my hand-drawn Banksia serrata and my journey to transform it into an etched print. Today I share with you the finished piece, framed.
Part 2: Two colour etching
Back at the end of January I wrote about a 2 day workshop I did with Basil Hall. Click here to read that so you get the idea of what I was trying to achieve. Essentially I didn’t go with … Continue reading
Self portrait
And now for something completely different. Having been playing with water colour effects on paper recently I considered how they could be combined with my more usual oil-based printing techniques. My goal was to produce a printed image on paper … Continue reading
